May 17, 2007

Texas passes marriage education funding

> Contact: Maggie Russell 281-528-0480> > The Texas Senate passed historic legislation [already passed in the House] to strengthen existing marriages> and give couples considering marriage the skills and knowledge they need to> form healthy marriages.> > The Senate passed HB 2683 by a vote of 26 to 5. "This legislation will provide> thousands of Texas couples the tools they need to sustain healthy marriages"> said Maggie Russell, Chair of the Texas Fatherhood and Marriage Leadership> Institute (FAMLI). Russell said: "Thousands of Texas couples get divorced> every year because they have not had access to marriage skills building> classes." > > Arlene Wohlgemuth, President of Three Point Strategies and the former Texas> House Member from Burleson said "Texas will now become the nation's leader in> the effort to provide marriage and pre-marital skills building classes to> those who need it most. Texas also won more money in the recently allocated> Federal Healthy Marriage grants from the Department of Health and Human> Services than any other state in the nation other than California."> > Under HB2683, the total funding for the marriage skills programs will be> $7.5Million per year. Supporters are working to ensure that the> appropriations bill reflects the vote of the House and Senate for 1% of the> total TANF Block Grant to be allocated to the Healthy Marriage Initiative.